United States California Los Angeles Los Angeles Guide Things To Do Essentials Restaurants Nightlife Where to Stay Neighborhoods Events Getaways All Los Angeles Military History Museums in Los Angeles Armed Forces and War Museums in LA By Kayte Deioma Kayte Deioma Kayte Deioma is an internationally published travel writer and photographer based in the Los Angeles area. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 05/12/19 Share Pin Email Shane Smith/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0 Even though LA hasn't seen a lot of military action, Los Angeles has a variety of museums that document and interpret military history from the Revolutionary War to WWII and the Cold War, and include exhibits of more modern military vehicles, planes, and multiple ships. 01 of 11 Fort MacArthur Military Museum Association Screenshot of Bing Map View Map Address 3601 S Gaffey St, San Pedro, CA 90731-6969, USA Get directions Phone +1 310-241-0846 Web Visit website The Fort MacArthur Museum at Battery Osgood-Farley in San Pedro focuses on the history of Fort MacArthur, a U.S. Army post which guarded the Los Angeles harbor between 1914 to 1974. Multiple buildings house exhibits on harbor defense and home-front activities in Southern California. 02 of 11 American Military Museum Screenshot of Bing Maps View Map Address 1918 Rosemead Blvd, South El Monte, CA 91733-2948, USA Get directions Phone +1 626-442-1776 Web Visit website The American Military Museum (AKA Tank Land or the Tank Museum) at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in El Monte has an extensive collection of inter-service military equipment from WWI through Desert Storm. Nearly 200 vehicles from tanks to amphibious vehicles and bomb loaders. 03 of 11 USS Iowa Battleship Museum Kayte Deioma View Map Address 250 S Harbor Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90731, USA Get directions Phone +1 877-446-9261 Web Visit website The USS Iowa Battleship Museum is an actual WWII battleship you can visit in San Pedro in the Port of Los Angeles. The battleship is not wheelchair accessible.​ 04 of 11 SS Lane Victory Kayte Deioma View Map Address 3011 Miner St, San Pedro, CA 90731, USA Get directions Phone +1 310-519-9188 Web Visit website The SS Lane Victory is another museum ship located in the Port of Los Angeles. She's a WWII merchant cargo ship that served through the Vietnam War. Continue to 5 of 11 below. 05 of 11 Sons of the Revolution Library Screenshot of Google Street View View Map Address 600 S Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91204-2009, USA Get directions Phone +1 818-240-1775 Web Visit website The Sons of the Revolution in the State of California has an American Heritage Library and Museum in Glendale. The Library specializes in genealogical and early American history resources with emphasis on the Colonial and Revolutionary War period. It also has a fine collection of 18th and 19th-century vital records, family histories, American military history and English genealogy. 06 of 11 Western Museum of Flight Screen Shot of Google Street View View Map Address 3315 Airport Dr, Torrance, CA 90505-6152, USA Get directions Phone +1 310-326-9544 Web Visit website The Western Museum of Flight is not exclusively military aircraft, but they do have Warbirds, aircraft and target drones, piston and jet aircraft engines, aircraft components, aircraft ejection seats, World War II instruments, aircrew accessories, and an extensive model aircraft collection. 07 of 11 Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing Screenshot of Google Map View Map Address 455 Aviation Dr #9501, Camarillo, CA 93010, USA Get directions Phone +1 805-482-0064 Web Visit website The Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing operates an Aviation Museum, also known as the WWII Aviation Museum, at the Camarillo Airport with planes from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam. Daily except for Monday. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday visitors can observe ongoing restoration work. They are always working on different planes, so you may see different planes on different visits.​​ 08 of 11 The Queen Mary John Murphy/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 View Map Address 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802, USA Get directions Phone +1 877-342-0738 Web Visit website In addition to her years as a luxury ocean liner, the Queen Mary served as a troop transport during WWII. The Queen Mary attraction includes a few exhibits and film reels on her military history. Also at the Queen Mary is the Russian Foxtrot Submarine Scorpion. You can't go inside the submarine anymore, but you can still see it. Continue to 9 of 11 below. 09 of 11 Drum Barracks Civil War Museum Screenshot of Google Street View View Map Address 1052 N Banning Blvd, Wilmington, CA 90744, USA Get directions Phone +1 310-548-7509 Web Visit website The Drum Barracks Civil War Museum elucidates the role of Los Angeles and California in the Civil War. It is located in the 1862 Drum Barracks Junior Officers’ Quarters, built on land donated by Phineas Banning to create a Union presence in Southern California during the war. 10 of 11 Martial Arts History Museum Screenshot of Google Maps Street View View Map Address 2319 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506, USA Get directions Phone +1 818-478-1722 Web Visit website Learn about the history of martial arts and relevant weaponry in Asia and its influence in the US at this North Hollywood museum. 11 of 11 The Wende Museum Rendering courtesy of the Wende Museum View Map Address 10808 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230-3738, USA Get directions Phone +1 310-216-1600 Web Visit website The Wende Museum in Culver City is a collection of artifacts, documents and personal histories related to Eastern Europe and Russia during the Cold War. Exhibits include furnishings and design objects, visual arts, textiles, films, and books. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! 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